After 12 years with DStv, the iconic festival enters a new era as an independent event, with its 2026 dates locked in for Heritage Weekend
By Bulelwa Hoala
The Delicious International Food and Music Festival has confirmed that its 12-year partnership with DStv as headline sponsor has come to an end.
In a statement released on Monday, 13 April 2026, the festival extended its gratitude to DStv and said that, while the sponsorship has ended, the event will continue as an independently owned and produced festival.
“The Delicious International Food and Music Festival would like to extend sincere thanks to DStv for 12 incredible years as our headline sponsor. Their support has played a meaningful role in shaping the festival into one of South Africa’s most loved lifestyle events.
“As this valued partnership comes to a close, we are excited to step into a new chapter. The Delicious Festival remains an independently owned and produced event, built to evolve and built to last. We remain committed to delivering the world-class music, exceptional food, and rich cultural experiences that our audience has come to expect,” the statement read.
According to the statement, this year’s festival will take place over Heritage Weekend on Saturday, 19 September, and Sunday, 20 September at its regular venue, the Kyalami Grand Prix Circuit.
More announcements are expected, including the lineup for the two-day event.
This comes after the Sunday World reported on Sunday, 12 April, that French broadcaster Canal+, which acquired MultiChoice in 2025, is reportedly withdrawing from the festival as part of a cost-cutting exercise.
In early March, MultiChoice also announced that its popular video-on-demand streaming service, Showmax, would be discontinued.
According to the MultiChoice team, the Showmax board made the decision to strengthen its digital offering and ensure long-term sustainability.
The Showmax platform is set to be discontinued on Thursday, 30 April, with its original content moving to DStv Stream.
READ NEXT: Showmax subscribers get free DStv Stream access ahead of platform shutdown
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